Patient Patience
by Stonecreek
Summary: A doctor's work is never done. Priyanka Maheswaran is reminded of this as she attempts to go home after a long shift, only to find someone is in need of her care in the rapidly cooling night. But, perhaps, it's not her medical services that are needed, but simply a friendly presence to lend support.


**A.N. -** I originally posted this on Pastebin (/ar31mMWd) almost a year ago because I wasn't happy with how it turned out. Given it was the first Steven Universe thing I wrote, was stance has softened on it. I still don't like the title, though. I mainly am posting this as a precursor to tackling my next SU project - a 13 chapter Lapidot slow burn story. I'd like to hear if y'all are interested in that; it'll motivate me to get beyond the outlining stage. Anyway, I don't own Steven Universe or profit monetarily from this work in any way. Now enjoy your side character interactions.

 **Patient Patience**

Dr. Priyanka Maheswaran sighed as she exited the hospital, pulling her coat tighter around herself. Her shift had run long, well past sundown, and the late October chill was more akin to a February day. Priyanka's breath puffed up in front of her as she pulled her phone out, texting her husband Doug that she was finally on her way home.

And she would have been, had she not noticed the small figure slumped against the wall as she made her way around the back of the hospital to the employee parking lot. Priyanka thought briefly about calling security when she spotted the interloper, but the doctor in Dr. Maheswaran was not so easily dissuaded. She had nearly missed the hunched being in the darkness, and as she got closer she was startled that there seemed to be no coat to protect against the cold. Maybe this was a drunk passed out against the nearest solid surface, but instincts told her otherwise.

Priyanka moved to rouse the slouched stranger, at first gently nudging the shoulder of the small…woman?...the haircut was not helping matters. Sidetracked in her efforts, Priyanka failed to notice for almost a minute the most glaring sign something was wrong until she made to flip the person so they were facing her. The chest gave no telltale rise and fall of breath. Priyanka sucked in a breath of her own, distraught at the plight of the figure before her and cursing fate for piling on her already wearying day.

Getting no response from the now-prone person, Dr. Maheswaran reached down and scooped up the figure to bring them in for some urgent care. They were small, granted, but Priyanka would've sworn this new patient of hers weighed as much as the nippy air around her. Walking briskly back to the entrance, she flagged down an orderly to get her a stretcher to relieve her of her load. Waving off the need for other assistance once the item was provided, Priyanka booked it as fast as hospital protocol allowed for an empty examination bay.

In the crisp white light in the private room, Priyanka noticed the red tinge to the skin, though there was no outward sign of injury. And if she'd thought the figure small before in the weak light of parking lot streetlamps, they were so very tiny upon the reclining bed. She reached down for the wrist to check for a pulse absently as she pondered on how to resuscitate this person and saw a glint of light come from the person's cupped hand.

Dr. Maheswaran unfurled the fingers there and saw that further action on her part would not be necessary. The faceted gem embedded in the palm told her all she needed to know. Connie, her daughter, had said the Gem's bodies weren't really real, just constructs. There was no breath because there was no need. There was no pulse because there was no heart to pump blood, or any other organs or blood as far as she was aware. The tiny red gem was this being's entire being, and Priyanka was dismayed to find that it was chipped.

Gently, the doctor ran her index finger over the imperfections in the gem, pondering if there was anything she could do for her (for it had to be a her – the other Gems she'd met had all seemed female…) other than bring this to the attention of Steven and his protectors. But it was as if her touch was a signal to the figure below her, and they bolted upright with alacrity. Priyanka tried not to startle and back away as a cold glare fixed at her.

"Where am I?"

The words were rough, inflected with an accent she could not place, and seemed to take more out of the small Gem before her than said Gem was expecting. The tough façade fell away as her hands went to clutch her forehead. The friction could not feel good with that damage, Priyanka mused as she answered.

"You're at the hospital. I'm…"

"Doctor Priyanka Maheswaran. Connie's mom. I know. Now." The blush was hard to spot on already ruddy cheeks, but it was there. From embarrassment, Priyanka was sure, but her motherly intuition told her there was more to it.

"I'm afraid I don't know you. I'd like to check you over, make sure there's…"

"I'm fine! It's nothing!"

The combative voice from the diminutive body was not intimidating Priyanka in the slightest. Being cut off before she could finish her sentences was an irritant, yes, but she thought she had an idea what Gems were capable of and in this one's current condition, the answer was 'Not much.' Priyanka reached out and settled her hand on top of a much warmer than expected head. Huh, a fever to boot, then…

"I suggest you let me help you. You know who I am, what I do." Here, Priyanka clasped her other hand over the Gem's injured one, not touching the afflicted area but sheltering it. She could see the mental deflation going on in front of her as the Gem's pain won out over stubbornness.

"If you don't let me assist you, at least tell me your name. You know me; let me know you."

The tiny Gem looked ready to pass out again, posture on the bed having gone from ramrod straight to barely upright. Half-lidded eyes looked first down at the joined hands, then up into compassionate eyes.

"I'm Ruby, ma'am." Dr. Maheswaran couldn't be sure whether the accompanying wince was from more pain or having used ma'am on her. She smiled anyway.

"I'd say it's nice to meet you, but apparently we already are acquainted, and circumstances aren't really the best. So, why don't you talk? It's not a good idea for you to go fainting again, and I'll treat you. Is that acceptable?" Ruby looked vaguely amused at the rambling answer her greeting got.

Priyanka noticed and clammed up. She just held Ruby's hand a bit more reassuringly and got a small squeeze back.

Things weren't great, but they were going to be, she was sure of it.


End file.
